Warping



June 8, 1954 3 WHITE 2,680,280

WARPING Filed April 15. 1952 FIG //1 van for George Wh/fe By Ms af/om eys MMM Patented June 8, 1954 WARPING George White, N uneaton,

England, assignor to Courtaulds Limited, London, England, a British company Application April 15, 1952, Serial No. 282,296

Claims priority, application Great Britain May 21, 1951 3 Claims.

This invention relates to the textile operation of warping, that is drawing a number of individual threads from bobbins or other packages mounted on a creel for this purpose and laying them evenly side by side on a beam to form a warp for use on a loom or knitting machine.

In some warping machines the threads are laid directly on to the beam, but such a procedure is only practicable when a number of warps of identical form are required, for example for knitting, and in consequence other types of warping machines, generally called section warping machines, include a swift, that is a large diameter skeleton roller on which the warp is built up in sections and from which the complete warp is then wound on to the warp beam.

In order toguide the threads on to the swift evenly and in the desired order they are first led through a leaded reed and then guided by suitable means to the swift. Customarily one thread is passed through each dent of the leaded reed and then passed through a dent of a spacing reed which is considerably narrower and with less dents than the leaded reed so that a number of, for example 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 or 12 threads pass through each dent of the spacing reed.

To ensure the steady and even passage of the threads through the spacing reed and to ensure that the threads lie on the swift without appreciable rolling, it is necessary for the operaj tive to divide the threads into a series of layers and this is effected by making use of the leaded reed in a known manner and inserting appropriate split rods between the layers. The split rods are then placed in a frame located between the two reeds in order to keep the various layers separated.

At the start of each new section the operative is also required to strike a lease and insert a lease band. These operations consist in separating alternate ends of the warp into two layers and inserting the lease band, usually a thick distinctive thread, then reversing the shed and inserting a second lease band. For this purpose the operative also makes use of the leaded reed in known manner.

It is usual at the start of the first section to strike a lease, insert thelease bands, then divide the threads into layers according to the number of threads passing through each dent of the spacing reed and to insert the split rods between the layers before putting the rods in the frame between the two reeds.

Whenever lease bands have to be inserted in the warp it is necessary for the operative to remove the split rods from the frame and from beneath the layers and then re-insert them after the leasing is completed, and as the leasing required in the first section has to be repeated in all subsequent sections of the warp these rods are removed and re-inserted many times before a warp is completed. Although experienced operatives complete each of these non-productive operations in a short time, the total time taken is appreciable, particularly when building up warps of such a form and from such threads that the build-up can take place at relatively high speeds.

It is the object of the present invention to keep at a minimum the time taken by non-productive operations.

According to the present invention a section warping machine comprises in combination a rotatable swift, a horizontal carriage rail mounted adjacent to the swift,-a carriage capable of being traversed along the carriage rail, a spacing reed and a roller mounted on the carriage so that the roller lies between the spacing reed and .l

and projecting away from the swift, a split rod frame mounted on the platform, at least one split rod for insertion in the split rod frame, a leaded reed mounted on the platform between the split rod frame and the spacing reed and at least one striking bar for manipulating a warp sheet passing through the leaded reed.

By the term leaded reed we mean a reed having stops in the dents which cause a warp sheet passing through the dents to be divided into two or more layers when the sheet is manipulated in known manner by means of a striking bar.

In a preferred form of the invention, the split rod frame and the leaded reed are mounted on a platform which is carriage of the warping machine so that the split rod frame and the leaded reed can be lined up with a fixed creel whatever the location of the carriage. Two horizontal striking bars, for striking a lease or dividing a warp sheet into layers, may each be held by a pair of arms, pivotably mounted to the leaded reed; one bar is arranged so that it can be swung into contact with the upper surface of a warp sheet passing through the leaded reed and the other bar is arranged so that it can be swung into contact with the lower surface of the warp sheet. Both bars are swung out of contact with the sheet during the normal warping operation.

Apparatus according. to the invention permits the operative to strike a lease and insert the leases when the split rods are in position in the split rod frame without the removal of the split rods being necessary.

One example of apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation of a warping assembly showing the position of the threads during normal winding,

the swift, a platform mounted on the carriage pivotably mounted on the Figure 2 is a perspective view of the assembly shown in Figure 1, and

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic plan view of the warpin assembly when a section is being wound at the end of the swift.

Referring to the drawings, threads I, constitutin a warp sheet, pass from a creel I8 (Figure 3) and are divided into six layers 2 by five split rods 3 inserted in a split rod frame l. The layers 2 of the threads I pass through the dents of a leaded reed 5, through the dents of a spacing reed 6 and are spread out into a flat band I by a roller 8 before being wound on to a swift 9 to form a section IQ of a warp 20. Each thread I passes through one dent in the leaded reed and one thread I from each of the six layers 2 pass through each dent of the spacing reed 6. The spacin reed 8 and the roller 8 are mounted on a carriage it which is moved along a rail II in front of and parallel to the swift 9 in known manner, that is, it is traversed slowly over a short distance in a controlled manner during the building up of each section I9, and is moved by the operative by means of a hand wheel ZI to the desired new position before a fresh section I9 is started.

Ihe frame 3 and the leaded reed 5 are mounted on a platform I2 which is pivotably mounted on the carriage It by a pivot I3, so that it may be swung in a horizontal plane and so directed towards the creel I8 whatever the position of the carriage ID. The creel IS can thus be in a fixed position opposite the centre of the swift 8 durin the complete warping operation.

Figure 3 shows the position of the frame 4 and the leaded reed 5 mounted on the platform I2 when a section I9 is being wound on one end of the swift 8. The chain line outline shows the position of the frame 4 and the leaded reed 5 when a section I9 is being wound at the other end of the swift 9.

As shown in Figure 2, the leaded reed 5 has two pairs of pivoted arms It, I5 supporting two horizontal striking bars I8, Ill. The bars I6, H are normally swung out of contact with the threads I but the bar is may be swung into contact with the upper side of the threads I and the bar I1 may be swung into contact with the lower side of the threads I, on either side of the leaded reed 5 as desired.

At the commencement of winding 2, warp 23, the rods 3 are removed from the frame 15 and the threads i passing from the creel I8 are threaded through the leaded reed 5 and the spacing reed 6 and are tied to the swift 9 after passing round the roller 8. By successively swinging the bars it, if into contact with the threads I on the left hand side of the leaded reed 5, the threads 5 are caused to ride against the stops in the dents of the leaded reed 5, thus defining in known manner the division of the threads I into six layers 2. The split rods 3 are slipped in between the layers 2 and placed in position in the split rod frame 4 and the bars I6, I! are swung out of contact with the threads I.

Striking a lease, which is carried out at least once during the winding of a section I9, is accomplished by swinging one of the bars I6 into contact with the threads I which are caused to ride against the stops in the leaded reed 5. A division is defined between alternate threads i passing through the leaded reed 5 and a lease band is inserted into this division between the spacing reed 6 and the roller 8. The bar IB is now swung out of contact with the threads I and the other bar I? is swung into contact with the threads I when again a division is defined between the alternate threads which are now in a reversed position. A second lease band is then inserted in the division between the spacing reed '5 and the roller 8. Winding the section I9 may then be continued. The rods 3 do not have to be removed from the split rod frame 4 to permit the lease to be struck.

Although a warping operation has been described in which the threads I are divided into six layers 2 permitting six threads I to pass through each dent of the spacing reed 6, apparatus accordin to the invention may be used in warpin operations where the threads are divided into any number of layers, for example, two, four or eight, with the corresponding number of threads I passing through each dent of the spacing reed 8.

What I claim is:

1. A section warping machine comprising in combination a rotatable swift, a horizontal carriage rail mounted adjacent to the swift, a carriage capable of being traversed alon the carriage rail, a spacing reed and a roller mounted on the carriage so that the roller lies between the spacing reed and the swift, a platform mounted on the carriage and projecting away from the swift, a leaded reed mounted on the platform adjacent the carriage, a split rod frame mounted on the platform adjacent to the leaded reed so that the leaded reed lies between the split rod frame and the carriage, at least one split rod for insertion in the split rod frame and at least one striking bar for manipulating a warp sheet passing through the leaded reed.

2. A section warpin machine comprising in combination a rotatable swift, a horizontal carriage rail mounted adjacent to the swift, a carriage capable of being traversed along the car riage rail, a spacing reed and a roller mounted on the carriage so that the roller lies between the spacing reed and the swift, a platform pivotably mounted on the carriage and projectin away from the swift, a leaded reed mounted on the platform adjacent the carriage, a split rod frame mounted on the platform adjacent to the leaded reed so that the leaded reed lies between the split rod frame and the carriage, at least one split rod for insertion in the split rod frame and at least one striking bar for manipulating a warp sheet passing through the leaded reed, the said platform being capable of being swung about its pivot so that the split rod frame and the leaded reed can be lined up with a fixed creel whatever the location of the carriage.

3. A section warpin machine as claimed in claim 2 in which two striking bars are each held by a pair of arms which are pivoted to the leaded reed so that the bars may be swung into contact with a warp sheet passing through the leaded reed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 628,136 Bentley July 4, 1899 1,033,363 Warburton July 23, 1912 1,935,242 Fulton Nov. 14, 1933 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 517,723 Germany May '7, 1931 

